Disc-shaped diamond setting

ABSTRACT

The present invention discloses a method for setting a disc-shaped diamond or other precious stone that provides increased stability and resistance to breakage, thus protecting the precious stone and minimizing the possibility that the setting may break or fail. The setting is accomplished by holding the disc-shaped stone onto an article of jewelry via a cap located on a distal end of a rod that extends through the center of the disc-shaped stone and is welded at a proximal end to a face of the article of jewelry. The disc-shaped stone is thus secured between the cap and the article of jewelry such that it is in contact with each, thereby preventing axial movement along the rod. These settings as described may be disposed at as many positions about an article of jewelry as so desired.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of priority, under 35 U.S.C.§ 119, of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/973,417, filedSep. 18, 2007, entitled “DISC SHAPED DIAMOND SETTING” the entiredisclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to jewelry, and morespecifically to a method of setting a disc-shaped precious stone, suchas a diamond, to an article of jewelry, such as a ring.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently, jewelry settings are available in many different types andstyles. Among the different sets or settings available are prong sets,bead sets, bezel sets, channel sets, pave settings, and invisible sets.These can be used alone or in combination with each other. There arecertain disadvantages to each that the present invention addresses.

Prong setting involves securing a stone between two to six wires(prongs), that extend up from a base that is usually the shape of thestone, oriented on the same axis as the girdle plane of the stone. Theprongs are notched to follow the same profile as the stone, so that whenthe prongs are closed onto the stone, the notched profile forms aroundthe girdle of the stone. These notches weaken the prong, and make itmore likely to break. Bezel settings, which are virtually the same as aprong setting except that the entire perimeter of the stone is coveredwith a thin ribbon of metal, have many of the same disadvantages.

Another type of setting that is currently used is a bead setting. Thisinvolves setting a stone into a piece of metal just below the surface bydrilling a hole into the metal with a specialized burr that will allowthe stone to sit on a seat so that the table of the stone can bepositioned just below the surface. The stone is then secured to themetal by raising a small bead of metal with a steel graver or similartool, immediately next to the stone until the bead contacts the stone,holding it in the seat. Pave setting uses the same process, except thatthe stones are set in a broader area, as opposed to traditional beadsettings which usually follow a straight line or involve just a singlestone. However, both bead and pave settings are difficult to form andhide substantial portions of the stone. Further, the beads may stillwear down and can sometimes snag clothing.

Yet another type of setting currently used is a channel setting. Channelsetting involves setting a stone in a channel between opposing channelwalls. A small seat is cut in each channel wall so that thecorresponding size stone will sit between the walls, suspended above thebase of the channel. The walls are then hammered onto the edge of thestone until the stone is secure. As with other types of settings, themetal will wear down over time and the stone may loosen.

Another type of setting currently used for stones is an invisiblesetting. An invisible setting is a technique used to set a number ofstones together in rows or patterns, so that there is no perceptiblemeans of support. The stones have a very small groove, just under thegirdle, on the pavilion. The groove is small enough so as not to bevisible from the top, but large enough to accept a thin piece of metal.The stones are grouped together into the particular pattern on top of alattice form that will accommodate each stone. The metal is then pushedinto the grooves of each stone from the back of the lattice, securingthe stones to the lattice form. A variation of this technique requiresthe stones to be notched, much the same way as a tongue in groovearrangement. Pieces that are invisibly set are more fragile becausethere is not much metal used to hold the stones in place. In the case oftongue in groove set stones, when one stone falls out, or is broken, therest of the stones in that grouping will come loose and fall out.

Thus, current setting techniques are susceptible to breakage or failureand thereby increasing the chances of losing a precious stone. What isneeded is a jewelry setting, method and design that will adequatelysecure a precious stone and prevent snags on clothing for an extendedlifetime of the jewelry piece.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a jewelry setting for a disc-shapedstone, preferably a diamond or other precious stone, that addresses theproblem of the stone becoming loose, and thus lost, due to settings thatare susceptible to breakage or that do not adequately hold the stone inplace. In the present invention, a cap located on a distal end of a rodsecures a disc-shaped stone to an article of jewelry. The cap contactsthe disc-shaped stone and is sized large enough to prevent thedisc-shaped stone from dislodging. The rod extends downward from the capthrough an aperture that is centrally located in the stone and alsothrough an aperture located on an article of jewelry, such as a ring.The proximal end of rod is welded to the article of jewelry, therebyretaining the stone between the cap and the article of jewelry. In thisway the disc-shaped stone retains contact with the cap and the articleof jewelry at an upper and lower face, respectively, making it highlyunlikely that the stone will become loose from the setting.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become morefully apparent and understood with reference to the followingdescription, the accompanying drawings the a appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features of the present invention will be morereadily apparent from the following detailed description and drawings ofillustrative embodiments of the invention in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a jewelry piece constructed inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the elements of the setting prior toassembly;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the setting;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIG. 1, the present invention is directed to a jewelrypiece 1 that comprises an article of jewelry 3 having one or moresettings 2. The article of jewelry 3 is preferably a ring, but may beany article of jewelry, including, but not limited to: a charm, apendent, a necklace, a bracelet, a broach, a watch or an earring. Thesettings 2 may be of variable size and may be disposed on the article ofjewelry in any number patterns as so desired by the jewelry maker.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, a disc-shaped stone 4 is set onto asurface 14 of an article of jewelry 3 via a rod 6 that extends through afirst aperture 5 located in the disc-shaped stone 4 and a secondaperture 9 located in the article of jewelry 3. The rod 6 is affixed tothe article of jewelry 3 at a distal end 10 preferably by a weld 11 onthe lower face 12 of the article of jewelry 3. The distal end 10 mayalso be deformed after it is passed through aperture 9 to prevent itfrom being able to be pulled through the aperture 9, which secures therod 6 in place.

The distal end 10 can be bent or deformed, much like a rivet. Thesurface 14 on which the disc-shaped stone 4 are set may also be raisedas shown in FIG. 1. The raised portion of the article of jewelry 3results in a recessed portion on the inside of the ring. Thus, the lowerface 12 to which the rods 6 are attached is recessed, which prevents thedistal end 10 of the rod 6 from contacting the wear's finger.

The disc-shaped stone 4 is held in place by a cap 8 located at aproximal end 7 of the rod 6. The length of the rod 6 from the point ofcontact between the disc-shaped stone 4 and the cap 8 to the upper face13 of the article of jewelry 3 is approximately equal to the thicknessof the disc-shaped stone 4. The disc-shaped stone 4 is thus secured andprevented from moving in an axial direction along the rod 6. In oneembodiment, the disc-shaped stone 4 is substantially prevented fromrotation by sizing the diameter of the rod 6 approximately equal to thediameter of the aperture 5, thus creating a relatively tight fit.However, the disc-shaped stone 4 may be free to rotate if so desired bydecreasing the diameter of the rod 6 in relation to the diameter of theaperture 5. Whether allowed to rotate or not, the diameter of the rod 6should be complementary and approximately equal to the diameters ofapertures 5 and 9 to prevent lateral movement of the disc-shaped stone4. The aperture 5 is preferably centrally located in the disc-shapedstone 4, while aperture 9 may be at any location on the article ofjewelry 3.

The rod 6 may be made out of various materials, though it is preferablymetal, including precious metals suitable for jewelry making such asgold, silver or platinum, to facilitate welding. It should be noted,however, that the proximal end 10 of the rod 6 need not be welded intoaperture 9 of the article of jewelry 3, but may be affixed by gluing orby a press or tight-fit or the like either within the aperture 9 of thearticle of jewelry 3 or to the lower face 12 or the upper face 13 of thearticle of jewelry 3.

The cap 8 may similarly be composed of any material, though it ispreferably metal, such as gold, silver or platinum, or anotheraesthetically pleasing material suitable for making jewelry. The cap 8may be formed onto the rod as one piece or may be glued or threaded ontothe rod or affixed to it in any other way generally known in the art.While the cap 8 is shown in one embodiment as a ball, it may take othershapes, such as that of a hemi-sphere, rectangular block, triangularblock or a pyramid.

The disc-shaped stone 4 may be a precious or a non-precious stone and inone embodiment it is a diamond. For the purposes of this disclosure,‘disc-shaped’ is defined as generally flattened, having an overallthickness that is less than either its overall diameter, width orlength. Thus, the disc-shaped stone, though preferably round, may besquared, rectangular, oval or irregular so long as it is relativelyflat.

In one mode of assembly, the rod 6 having the cap 8 attached thereto, ispassed through the aperture 5 in the disc-shaped stone 4 and into theaperture 9 in an article of jewelry 3. The distal end 10 of the rod 6 isthen welded to the article of jewelry 3 at 11. This process may berepeated as many times, and at as many locations on the article ofjewelry 3 to create a desired pattern. Typically, for ease andefficiency, the apertures 9 will be formed in the article of jewelry 3in the desired pattern before any stones are set thereon. Thus, thepresent design provides for fast, efficient and simple settings tocreate jewelry pieces with stones set in a variety of patterns anddesigns.

The disc-shaped stones 4 may also be attached to strips of material,such as precious metal, that have apertures 9 therein. This disc-shapedstones 4 may be attached to the strips of material with the rods 6 asdescribed above. These strips of metal with the disc-shaped diamonds setthereon may then be attached to a piece of jewelry such as a ring. Thestrips of metal can be welded to the piece of jewelry to attach itthereto. Thus, another way to form an article of jewelry with adisc-shaped stone stetting is provided.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may bemade therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

1. A jewelry setting comprising: a disc-shaped stone having a firstaperture therein; an article of jewelry having a second aperturetherein; and a rod extending through both of the apertures, the rodhaving a distal end with a cap disposed thereon and a proximal endaffixed to the article of jewelry, wherein the stone is secured betweenand in contact with the cap and the article of jewelry.
 2. The settingfor a disc-shaped stone of claim 1, wherein the first aperture isconcentrically located along a central axis of the stone.
 3. The settingfor a disc-shaped stone of claim 1, wherein the disc-shaped stone is adiamond.
 4. The setting for a disc-shaped stone of claim 1, wherein theproximal end of the rod is welded to the article of jewelry.
 5. Thesetting for a disc-shaped stone of claim 1, wherein the cap comprises aball.
 6. The setting for a disc-shaped stone of claim 1, wherein thearticle of jewelry is a ring.
 7. A jewelry piece comprising: a rodhaving a proximal end and a distal end; a cap located on the distal endof the rod; an article of jewelry affixed to the proximal end of therod; and a disc-shaped stone having a centrally located aperturetherein, wherein the rod extends through the aperture and the stone issecured between and in contact with the article of jewelry and the cap8. The jewelry piece of claim 7, wherein the proximal end of the rod isdisposed in a second aperture located in the article of jewelry andwelded thereto.
 9. The jewelry piece of claim 7, wherein the disc-shapedstone is a diamond.
 10. The jewelry piece of claim 7, wherein the capcomprises a ball.
 11. The jewelry piece of claim 7, wherein the articleof jewelry is a ring.
 12. A method for setting a disc-shaped stonehaving a centrally located aperture on an article of jewelry comprising:extending a rod having a proximal end and a distal end, and a capdisposed on the distal end, through the aperture located in thedisc-shaped stone; affixing the proximal end of the rod to a secondaperture located within the article of jewelry such that the cap securesthe stone against the article of jewelry.